Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations

At the 50th Session of

the Commission for Social Development

on agenda item 3 “Follow up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special Session of the General Assembly”

New York, 2 February 2012

Mr. Chairman,

At the outset, allow me to commend you and other members of the Bureau for your able stewardship in our last session. I am confident that you will continue to guide this year’s session to a successful conclusion. We would also like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for the set of reports prepared for this agenda item.

Indonesia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Representative of Algeria on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Mr. Chairman,

Indonesia recognizes the importance of putting people at the center of development. In this regard, the Secretary General’s report reminds us of the constant and multiple impacts of poverty on humanity.

Over 1 billion people are still living on less than $1.25 a day. At the same time, the expansion of the global economy has been coupled with growing vertical and horizontal inequality. This inequality makes the vulnerability and marginalization of those already excluded even worse.

It is clear that the benefits of the economic growth we are witnessing are not being shared equitably. The fact is the current slow economic recovery is yet to impact the lives of ordinary people in the form of full, decent employment and productive work. So far, the recovery still be tinted with unemploymentand may not actually be sustainable.

During the previous session of this Commission, we had the chance to examine the inter-dimensional nature of poverty and the social impacts of existing economic policies. What we need to do now is to reflect on the way forward. We need to make full use of insights gained from workable anti-poverty strategies. In addition, we must strengthen social protection systems to combat the inter-generational poverty trap.

It is Indonesia’s belief that macro-economic policies focusing on people, instead of impressive economic statistics for public consumption, must be formulated and implemented. These policies must create more and better jobs and improve the productivity of leading economic sectors.

Mr. Chairman,

Indonesia fully appreciates the findings of the Secretary-General and his determination to address the situation in a decisive manner. We agree that a vibrant economy is indispensable for social development. We also agree that it is every country’s prerogative to determine how best to respond to the challenge, based on its particular circumstances and capacity.

In Indonesia’s case, we were able to achieve around 6 percent economic growth before and during the global economic crisis. This growth facilitated the achievement of our social development goals.

Relevant action was taken within the context of our four-pronged national economic strategy with its “pro-growth”, “pro-jobs”, “pro-poor”, and “pro-environment” features. The pro-poor strategies stress the need to combat poverty and overcame poverty.

Responding to the external economic pressures created by the deteriorating global economy, Indonesia has strengthened its “development for all” policy. That policy results from a combination of many financial, monetary and fiscal policies that were crafted to blunt the impact of the crisis.

Along with the “development for all” policy, in 2011 the government launched the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia Economic Growth (MP3EI). This plan is aimed at stimulating further growth in major economic centers as a way of reducing inequalities between social groups by creating opportunities for all.

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Mr. Chairman,

With that firewall of protection in place, Indonesia continued to make the necessary social investments to build its human capital. We are well aware that well developed human capital is necessary for economic growth.

Indonesia also took steps to enhance food security and to provide the poor with greater economic security. A key component of our social development strategy has been the empowerment of family units, providing vulnerable households in particular with access to economic resources. The upcoming celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014 is an excellent opportunity for further actions to strengthen the role of family in social development.

Families have also been benefiting from social assistance and protection programmes. These programmes are designed to meet the various health needs of mothers, children, the elderly and the disabled. Due care is being taken to protect the human rights of older persons and to provide them with some measure of social security in their golden years.

Because about 50% of our population is below 29 years old, youth unemployment is regarded and treated as a national priority. The 20% allocation of the national budget for education is being used to improve youth access to quality education linked to the needs of the labour market.

Recognizing the commitment to mainstream disability into the development agenda, Indonesia ratified the Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities in October 2011, thus becoming the 107th state party to that Convention.

Before concluding, Mr. Chairman, let me also refer to the upcoming Rio+20 meeting and the quest of nations to satisfy human needs within the context of globalization. That commitment makes it necessary for us to address the challenge of poverty eradication, full and decent employment and social integration within the context of sustainable development. We must stay true to that commitment.

Thank you.

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations, New York
325 East 38th Street, New York, NY, 10016, USA
Tel: 1.212.972.8333, Fax: 1.212.972.9780 - www.indonesiamission-ny.org